standing near him, I do not perceive that in you, Socrates,' said he, 'which I have taken notice of in others; I mean, that they are angry with me, and curse me, when, being compelled by the magistrates, I announce to them that they must drink the poison. But, on the contrary, I have found you, to the present time, to be the most generous, mild, and best, of all the men that ever came into this place; and, therefore, I am well convinced, that you are not angry with me, but with the authors of your present condition, for you know who they are. Now, therefore, (for you know what I came to tell yoμ,) farewell; and endeavor to bear this necessity as easily as possible.' And, at the same time, bursting into tears, and turning himself away, he departed. But Socrates, looking after him, said, And thou, too, farewell; and we shall take care to act as you advise.' And, at the same time, turning to us,How courteous,' he said, is the behavior of that man! During the whole time of my abode here, he has visited me, and often conversed with me, and proved himself to be the best of men; and now, how erously he weeps on my account! But let us obey him, Criton, and let some one bring the poison, if it is bruised; and if not, let the man, whose business it is, bruise it.' 'But, Socrates,' said Criton, I think that the sun still hangs over the mountains, and is not set yet. And, at the same time, I have known others, who have drunk the poison very late, after it was announced to them; who have supped and drank abundantly. Therefore, do not be in such haste, for there is yet time enough.' Socrates replied, Such men, Criton, act fitly in the manner which you have described, for they think to derive some advantage by so doing; and I, also, with propriety, shall not act in this manner. For I do not think I shall gain any thing, by drinking it later, except becoming ridiculous to myself, through desiring to live, and being sparing of life, when nothing of it any longer remains. Go, therefore,' said he, 'be persuaded, and comply with my request.'

gen

"Then Criton, hearing this, gave a sign to the boy that stood near him; and the boy departing, and having staid

for some time, came back with the person that was to administer the poison, who brought it, pounded in a cup. And Socrates, looking at the man, said, 'Well, my friend, (for you are knowing in these matters,) what is to be done? Nothing,' he said, but, after you have drunk it, to walk about, until a heaviness takes place in your legs, and then to lie down: this is the manner in which you have to act.' And, at the same time, he extended the cup to Socrates. And Socrates, taking it, and, indeed, Echecrates, with great cheerfulness, neither trembling, nor suffering any. change for the worse in his color or countenance, but, as he was used to do, looking up sternly at the man—'What say you,' he said, 'as to making a libation from this potion? may I do it or not?' "We only bruise as much, Socrates,' he said, as we think sufficient for the purpose.' 'I understand you,' he said; but it is both lawful and proper to pray to the gods, that my departure hence, thither, may be prosperous; which I entreat them to grant may be the case. And, so saying, he stopped, and drank the poison very readily and pleasantly. And thus far, indeed, the greater part of us were tolerably well able to refrain from weeping; but, when we saw him drinking, and that he had drunk it, we could no longer restrain our tears. And from me, indeed, in spite of my efforts, they flowed, and not drop by drop; so that, wrapping myself in my mantle, I bewailed myself, not, indeed, for his misfortune, for my own, considering what a companion I should be deprived of. But Criton, who was not able to restrain his tears, was compelled to rise before me. And Apollodorus, who, during the whole time. prior to this, had not ceased from weeping, then wept aloud, with great bitterness, so that he infected all who were present, except Socrates. But Socrates, upon seeing this, exclaimed, 'What are you doing, you strange men! In truth, I principally sent away the women, lest they should produce a disturbance of this kind; for I have heard, that it is proper to die among well-omened sounds. Be quiet, therefore, and maintain your fortitude.' And when we heard this, we were ashamed, and restrained our tears. But he,

but

when he found, during his walking about, that his legs became heavy, and had told us so, laid himself down on his back. For the man had told him to do so. And, at the same time, he who gave him the poison, touching him at intervals, examined his feet and legs. And then, pressing very hard on his foot, he asked him if he felt it. But Socrates answered, that he did not. And, after this, he pressed his thighs, and thus, going upwards, he showed us that he was cold and stiff. And Socrates also touched himself, and said, that when the poison reached his heart, he should then depart. But now, the lower part of his body was almost cold; when, uncovering himself, (for he was covered,) he said, (and these were his last words,) 'Criton, we owe a cock to Esculapius. Discharge this debt, therefore, for me, and do not neglect it.' 'It shall be done,' said Criton; but consider, whether you have any other commands.' To this inquiry of Criton, he made no reply; but, shortly after, moved himself, and the man uncovered him. And Socrates fixed his eyes; which, when Criton perceived, he closed his mouth and eyes. This, Echecrates, was the end of our companion; a man, as it appears to me, the best of those whom we were acquainted with at that time, and, besides this, the most prudent and just."*

*Taylor's translation of Plato. Some slight alterations have been made, where the translator seemed to have gone unnecessarily far from the language of he original. Note of the English author.

THE SURRENDER OF THE ROMAN ARMY, AT THE DEFILE NEAR CAUDIUM, B. C. 319.

BY LIVY.

THE three most prominent early Italian nations were the Etruscans, the Latins, and the people of Samnium. The last-named country consisted of a mountain tract, in the southeastern part of central Italy, and its inhabitants were renowned for their frugality, industry, and bravery. All of them cultivated the soil; and the institution of an agricultural priesthood, (fratres arvales,*) was borrowed by the Romans from the Samnites. They, like the Latins and Tuscans, formed a league, or confederacy, of several communities, otherwise independent. The Romans, at an early period, came in contact with these warlike mountaineers. The Samnites had attacked Capua, the wealthy capital of Campania; and, when the inhabitants of this city saw that they were not strong enough to defend it, they offered themselves as subjects to the republic of Rome, so that Rome should feel obliged to defend Capua, as its own. The Romans accepted the offer, and were successful in the ensuing war against the Samnites. Peace was concluded; but, after it had subsisted for some time, war was renewed, and lasted many years. During its continuance, the Roman legions were made prisoners by the Samnites, who granted them permission to depart, upon very humiliating conditions. It is the description of this part of the war which has been selected as an extract from Livy, in whose history it is found, at the beginning of the Ninth Book. A few brief remarks respecting Livy will be found, preceding the next article.

*The order of priests who went in procession through the fields, and prayed for the increase of corn, at the festival called Ambarvalia, when the fields were dedicated and blessed. Those priests were twelve in number, and the order is said to have been instituted by Romulus, in honor of his nurse, Acca Laurentia, who had twelve sons, and when one of them died, Romulus, to console her, offered to supply his place, and called himself and the rest of her sons fratres ar vales.-I.

THE year, following, [A. U. C. 433, B. C. 319,] was distinguished by the convention of Caudium, so memorable, on account of the misfortune of the Romans. The consuls of the year were Titus Veturius Calvinus and Spurius Postumius.

The Samnites were that year commanded by Caius Pontius, son to Herennius, born of a father most highly renowned for wisdom, and himself a consummate warrior and commander. When the ambassadors, who had been sent to offer restitution, returned, without concluding a peace, he said, in an assembly :

"That you may not think that no purpose has been effected by this embassy, be assured, that, whatever degree of anger the deities of heaven had conceived against us, on account of the infraction of the treaty, has been hereby expiated. I am very confident, that, whatever deities they were, whose will it was that you should be reduced to the necessity of making restitution, it was not agreeable to them, that our atonement for the breach of treaty should be so haughtily spurned by the Romans: for, what more could possibly be done, towards appeasing the gods and softening the anger of man, than we have done? The effects of the enemy, taken among the spoils, which appeared to be our own, by the right of war, we restored; the authors of the war, as we could not deliver them up, alive, we delivered to them, dead; their goods we carried to Rome, lest, by retaining them, any degree of guilt should remain among us. What more, Roman, do I owe to thee? what, to the treaty? what, to the gods, the guarantees of the treaty ? What umpire shall I call in, to judge of your resentment, and of my punishment? I decline none; neither nation nor private persons.

"But, if the weak is not to find protection against a stronger, in human laws, I will appeal to the gods, the avengers of intolerable arrogance, and will beseech them, to turn their wrath against those, who are not satisfied by the restoration of their own, nor by additional heaps of

* That is, the Samnite ambassadors.